A benefit for the Be-In was one of the most beautiful events I’ve ever participated in in my life. The Grande was just full of loving people all dancing together in circles, under the strobe, individually, or in all kinds of freaky numbers, showing that in the end when someone asked how many people came it was obvious that everyone was one. The Family Medicine Chest, Billy C and the Sunshine and the Back and Back Boo Funny Music Band supplied sounds that I couldn’t believe. Energy just pulsating all over, people hanging on to each other, falling together, laughing, screaming, what can I say. It was just beautiful.
Anarchy and Jerry Younkins started a mantra and the whole auditorium joined in on stage and on the dance floor making the best music that can ever happen… Being part of a hundred loving chanting people all so together… If this is a sign of what is going to happen at the Love-In—watch out Detroit, cause an unorganized mass movement of freaks are going to grow and pick the fruits of the city and offer them to everyone who wants to forget the past of right and wrongs, goods and bads, rules, hate, and money.
If you can’t see it, go HEAR some of the bands that were at the Grande. The Family Medicine Chest are from Cass Tech High School… wow, the sounds they’re making are already far different from the money rock sound that you’d expect them to be striving for. They already know the Monkees etc. are not where its at… but freedom of sound being everywhere is just an accepted fact. Love is real… love is real… love is real…
I once knocked the LOVE album DA CAPO because I felt their long jazz (or improvised) cut was boring. I was full of shit. That’s just proof that I should never say anything bad about anything cause a year-minute-light-century later I find myself being that very thing… growing its fullness into my life. The LOVE album is beautiful. “My love she comes in colors,”… the flute… orange skies… a flamenco guitar… some of the shit they get into!!! They are a perfect example of a great rock group not making it on the pop scene. I cant understand why every cut on the album isn’t a hit, I can’t get the tunes out of my mind. Pow, they smash right in forever. Love!!!
I found a record by the Cream and bought it cause I wanted to hear Eric Clapton who is supposed to be THE guitarist in RR today. Bloomfield, Jeff Beck and all these people are always saying how great this guy plays. It was impossible to hear him up to now cause he always quit every group he ever joined before they got commercial enough to make a record. Groups in England are always breaking up and reforming with new people from other groups; and with the exception of some of the real big name groups nothing naturally stays constant. The Cream consists of 2 other former English “Groupies.”
I never in my whole life heard so much music come out of just 3 guys. I believe the album notes… the best drummer, bass player and guitarist got together to make one great album. A lot of the songs are more like chants… “I’m so glad” or “I wanta be free” over and over again and then the instruments exploring into the total freedom of sounds. They get into old bluesey things a new way, weird African rhythm changes, simple vocal harmonies, and they’re oozing with soul. Its fantastic. They’ll probably never come out with another album because they must have blown up after making this one. The sounds just swell and swell… it takes you out of your mind.
I don’t know what I expected but I couldn’t believe how great Odetta was at the Living End. She sang and closed her eyes and listened to her band help her along, and just filled the whole audience full of love. I can’t remember the songs she sang ’cause I don’t remember being conscious of anything but Being while I was listening to her. She was soft like a mother, strong via a gospel kind of change, soothing while you rested„physical fucking kind of attractive, full of soul in a ’20s blues group of songs; all the different sides of a whole.